When an academic topic or skill is taught to a student, the teacher instructs the students in the class and provides the students with practice worksheets to practice and reinforce the material. Typically, a single paper-based worksheet is duplicated for the entire class to use, even though the students may be progressing at different speeds. The advantages of the paper-based worksheet include that it can be quickly corrected and annotated by the teacher. Both the student and the teacher get immediate feedback and the student/teacher relationship is reinforced. For many academic areas, manually writing the answer on a paper worksheet is the best way to acquire knowledge and skill. Additionally, the paper worksheet is portable and durable. It can be brought home the same day for parents to view, and then saved, if desired.
While individualized instruction and practice may be available via a computer, advantages of the paper-based, corrected, and annotated worksheets are lost.